Drivers exit early from Daytona 500 practice led by McDowell
Play: NASCAR Fantasy Live | Vote: Ultimate Daytona Challenge
DAYTONA 500 SECOND PRACTICE | Full results
Ryan Newman and Martin Truex Jr. both experienced engine problems in the second Daytona 500 practice on Saturday at Daytona International Speedway.
The caution flag came out for fluid on the track about 20 minutes into the session and smoke was seen trailing from Truex's No. 78 Furniture Row Chevrolet SS and Newman's No. 31 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet SS.
FULL SERIES COVERAGE
• Latest news
• Standings
• Schedule
FASTEST DAYTONA 500 POLE SPEEDS
| Speed (mph) | Driver | Year |
|---|---|---|
| 210.364 | Bill Elliott | 1987 |
| 205.114 | Bill Elliott | 1985 |
| 205.039 | Geoff Bodine | 1986 |
| 201.848 | Cale Yarborough | 1984 |
| 198.864 | Ricky Rudd | 1983 |
| 196.966 | Ken Schrader | 1989 |
| 196.515 | Ken Schrader | 1990 |
| 196.434 | Danica Patrick | 2013 |
| 196.317 | Benny Parsons | 1982 |
| 196.049 | Buddy Baker | 1979 |
| 196.019 | Austin Dillon | 2014 |
For Truex, there was a crack in the oil pan, according to a team representative, and he did not make an engine change before Sunday's Daytona 500 group qualifying (1:30 p.m. ET, FOX).
Meanwhile, Newman wasn't as fortunate and will need to go to a backup car, meaning he'll go to the back for Thursday's Daytona Duels (7 p.m. ET, FOX Sports 1).
Newman said, through a Chevrolet spokesperson, "Something just happened in the bottom end of the motor going into Turn 3. Everything was going as planned until then. ... We will change the motor, figure out what happened to this one and get ready for tonight with a different race car and qualifying tomorrow."
Michael McDowell didn't have as much trouble as he topped the leaderboard in the second practice for the 57th running of the Daytona 500 (1 p.m. ET, Feb. 22, FOX).
The driver of the No. 95 Ford Fusion for Leavine Family Racing posted a top speed of 199.322 mph, ahead of Jimmie Johnson, the driver of the No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet SS whose best lap was turned at 199.313 mph.
Ty Dillon (199.300 mph), driving the No. 33 for Circle Sport, and the HMS duo of Kasey Kahne (199.080 mph) and Jeff Gordon (199.058 mph) rounded out the top five spots on the leaderboard, respectively.
Nobody topped 200 mph in this session after 10 cars did so in Saturday's first practice. However, McDowell's speed would have been the fastest Daytona 500 pole speed since Bill Elliott set the track record in 1987 at 210.364 mph.
Chevrolets claimed eight of the top 10 spots on the leaderboard in the second practice.
DAYTONA 500 OPENING PRACTICE | Full results
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. led the opening practice for the Daytona 500 on Saturday at Daytona International Speedway.
The driver of the Roush Fenway Racing No. 17 Ford Fusion posted a fastest lap of 202.643 mph, besting second-place Sam Hornish Jr., the driver of the No. 9 Richard Petty Motorsports Ford Fusion whose best speed was 202.193 mph.
Completing the top five on the leaderboard were RFR's Trevor Bayne (202.193 mph), RPM's Aric Almirola (201.979 mph) and Hendrick Motorsports' Dale Earnhardt Jr. (201.767 mph), respectively.
Fords took six of the top eight spots on the leaderboard. Meanwhile, 10 drivers topped the 200-mph mark.
Martin Truex Jr., driver of the No. 78 Furniture Row Chevrolet SS, was the only driver not to participate in opening practice.
A red flag came out for debris less than 15 minutes into the opening practice session, but the delay was short.